The King's Evil
by Kuro Guardian
Summary: Kohona's Yondaime has done an evil thing. For the crime of killing his wife he has sentenced his son to life as a jinchiruki - without actually sealing a demon within the child. AU Answer to Fic Challenge
1. Chapter 1

Kohona's Yondaime finishes the overwrought seal ignoring the silvery voice in the back of his head; ignoring the pangs of  
guilt. The child continues to wail eyes swollen shut from crying so that it blindly turns in search of comfort. Viciously comes the thought, 'you've killed your only chance at comfort little beast.' Forcing it down he lifts the child wrapping it tightly in a tattered blanket. The familiar weight of his triton is ominously final in his sweat-cool grip. Taking a deep breath he activates it.

…

'The demon is dead, but the cost…' The re-instated Sandaime stands before the panoramic view carefully ignoring the bundle behind him. The child has cried it's self to sleep at last. 'Tell them I sealed it in him.' His successor's one request - yet. Arashi is-was obviously not in his right mind at the time, surely… A cloud passes over the summer sun. 'You gave him your word, swore upon the blood of your line that you would fulfill this final wish.' The child stirs with a weak moan and of a sudden it occurs to the old man that the child may not have eaten. In fact - "Oh kami child. Has **no** one seen to you?"

…

Holding the infant securely in the crook of his arm the Sandaime feels nauseated by the bloodlust the crowd gives off. 'If he survives the seal will grant him a demon's power.' If indeed seeing how the crowd surges forward demanding the child's flesh, the child's blood upon their hands. Ah, but the old gent had never specified in his oath to simply turn the child over, nor had he promised not to 'elaborate' the tale. "Be still! This child may not be harmed least the nine-tails resurge with a vengeance. It is the Death God's will that until his twenty-first birthday the seal caging the creature and the chains binding it to Hell are contingent on this child's continued existence." And the crowd quiets though they are sullen, are fearful and wary.

…

The first assassination attempt is by an Iwa nin just barely made chuunin and looking to create a name for himself. His name is Erwaton and his body is never found. Standing before the charred remains of the cottage Kohona 'gifted' the Kyuubi spawn, Sandaime Sarutobi can only shiver grip loosening on the child in his arms. Only six weeks old the preternaturally still infant is perfectly clean and healthy despite having just been pulled out of the still moldering wreckage. 'Arashi what have you done?'


	2. Chapter 2

The baby stumbles over its own two feet pale blue eyes searching for something - for anything. Not surprising considering the fact he's blind, has been blind since the evening of his birth. There is a whispering sound from his left. He ignores it knowing it will cease and all he will find is a cool emptiness. The whispering sounds are mean distractions he has learned. There is the sound of wood and the smell of salt-sour-bitter that he associates with long-soft-pull and a deep voice that smiles sadly. He waits to see if it will move away from his questing face and then stiffly moves toward it. Rough hands grasp it.

….----….

He is too frightened to scream any longer especially since he cannot hear himself screaming. The feel of a sore throat however is more than enough to get his attention. Or would be if the - the whatever this is wasn't so amazing. The something that smells like smoke-age-weariness touches him again while the sick-ozone-hating thing continues to radiate intense loathing. The smoke-age-weariness must be Hokage-sama because it holds him in a way only that One ever has. 'I can see!' The child begins to laugh only slightly put out that he cannot hear himself.

….----….

The child in his arms begins to laugh reaching up to touch his wrinkled face. "I can see!" Startled the Sandaime looks to the medic-nin whose just been explaining the same. "I thought you said he wouldn't understand?" The medic curls his lip only just remembering not to voice his prejudice. 'Of course the nine-tails would recognize such a phenomenon. He probably engendered it.' Unconcerned with the frowning medic the Sandaime tries to speak to the now active child, but it is as though the boy is… deaf. 'Oh kami.'

….----….

The child forms the hand signs again watching as the masked creature (flowers-tea-ash) tilts its head in amusement. The dog masked one (tears-wood-dust) says or rather writes/signs that he (Na-Ru-To) is accomplished at body language, so no one is surprised at how well he interprets the Anbu who watch him. Have always watched him since the first fire. This one - Locust (Ibiki) makes the signs again the ones civilians know not the Team speak all shinobi (Ko-No-Ha) know or the secret (An-Bu) ones. Na-Ru-To attempts to copy them laughing silently at his own mistakes.

000

Pages-Blood-Fear (school) stands tall and forbidding before him as the (Ha-Ku-Ga-N) holding his hand pauses. The fifteen-year-old chunnnin squats and makes quick flashes of his fingers. Ignoring the obvious watching of the others Naruto flashes back with a lopsided grin and a wink. The boy - Hyuuga- snorts and stands taking up the six-year-old's hand. They enter the academy to whispers.

Naruto sits in the back never taking notes nor answering questions. The teachers try their level best to ignore him but he excels at everything they teach him nothing about only stumbling when they input. Some of them say it is a fox's trick but the Inuzuka substitutes and the dojutsu-gifted merely shake their heads trying to memorize sketches of a wide-eyed boy with perfect aim… and dismal test scores.

000

Iruka (salt/warm/fat - talcum-pages) studies him with fake kind eyes lips moving slowly in an attempt at being considerate. _Why are your scores bad?_ Shrugging eyes happy crescents because he can smell Inu-Anubu (Kakashi) just over the rise in the road. Can already see/hear/smell what fun Inu-Anbu will have at Iruka-sensei's expense. Shoulders twitching slightly with hidden/silent laughter Naruto mimics looking at a watch in panic before waving goodbye and running off. For two years Naruto has been effectively mute.

000

"If he cannot speak, he cannot pass." The bandaged man smirks pleased with himself causing Naruto wrinkles his nose. This man Danzo (pain-hate-hurt) speaks like Weasel-san (Itachi, blood-sweat-snow) signs; stiffly with an undercurrent of hate and violence. "Why do I need to speak Danzo-san?" And for a wonder he neither shouts nor whispers voice perfectly modulated. Inu-sand and Neko-chan allow slight tips of their heads (laughing) and the council shifts like the skin of Shino-chan's arms, his chest when they play in the secret lake.

The old woman who honestly hates him (age-tired-greed) studies him coolly - "Can you hear us Uzumaki?" Nodding carefully he does not break eye contact. Sandaime-sama sighs a smirk in his violet eyes. "How long Uzumaki-kun?" Considers holding up a mattering of fingers or playing as though he is unsure. "A week and a half, although I've been getting signals for about a month now." Sees something in the Hokage's eyes and then there are many questions only a few of which are meant for him.

000

Mizuki-sensei (lilac-sex-Iruka) smiles lazily at him. "Nice hitaite brat ready to go?" His first mission paired up with a random team because they've lost one and he is several years early (only nine after all). A C-rank mission because Haruka (salt-iron-rain) and Zanpanchi (gold-frost-apples) are older and far too experienced for the D-mission his presence would imply. "Try not to get killed gaki-kun, Iruka would hate it." He smiles with a silent laugh because he has forgotten how to laugh any other way.


	3. Chapter 3

Back at the academy again because no established team nor any remnant of a team will take him. He is bad luck it seems - 'nine times bad luck' as his nickname goes both for the enemy but especially his team. No single team he has ever apart of his endured three or more missions without fatality. In fact, at least one person has died on every team he's been apart of ever since that first mission which only he survived.

He can remember the ambush (shouts that left his head ringing) and Haruka (salt-sweet, tear salt, panic-copper and resigned rain) falling with a scream (the kind a mouse gives when the owl strikes true). Blood (thick-metal-sickening) everywhere and his vision is hypersensitive before it suddenly goes out and all he has is darkness around him. Darkness and his heartbeat before there's nothing but scent and taste and a skin that is unnaturally astute.

'How to fill out the mission report?' An unreal thought, but it's barely there past the air clearing before a hail of kunai. The smell (excitement-steam-sand) of a nin striking - air roiling like a cresting wave - low and hard and d~. Mouth opening tasting/seeing heat and energy. An almost hope against the darkness and his kunai is in the bastard's throat. Tremors of an impending jutsu and jumping tasting the chakra drenching the fist. 'My report won't make sense', he thought.

It hadn't, but when they'd dropped him in the same situation told this time by three and four and seven full-fledged Abu elite and a flank of Root nin besides it had to be accepted as at least partly true unless he had Sharingan and Byakugan besides. "I don't believe it." And so Ibiki (Locust - daisies, chai, incense) isn't smiling now too busy trying to break the fragile ego in search of hidden lies. And so the blond man, Inochi (meadows-vomit-sake), is _inside_ his head staring in bemusement as he slowly turns in place. "Rather bright considering…"

000

He has never failed a mission so they have re-enrolled him because none of the older nin will have him. He is not a traitor, not unstable, not inept and so they give him another chance (he is only ten and in danger of washing out). "Naruto Uzumaki, please enter the testing room." Smiling he inwardly laughs planning to fail. They will not allow a 10/11/12 year old into the Anbu, so by needs he has to wait. "Uzumaki you fail!"

000

Dead last the boy in orange studies the board instead of the teacher. This is his final attempt and he has been urged not to waste it. Has been told of ninja equivalents and how to achieve them, has been handed a ceramic mask blank as the test paper before him. Blinking he dodges the eraser and yawns. "Times up!" Beside him Shino reaches out a hand for his paper eyebrow elegantly raised into his hairline. Naruto shrugs shoulder jerking - he is laughing and Shino only shrugs in turn.

000

Running a paint can in each hand and a smile on his bewhiskered face. Laughing silently throat spasming when he tries to whoop and holler. Fast, faster though not so much his vision fails. Not so much he can no longer hear the angry jounin, the frustrated chunnin, or the *amused* Anbu one and two to his left and right respectfully. Leaping back atop the roof smiling at Inu-chan/Kakashi-san as he soars over him and his filthy book.

Back on the ground and quickly hedging/fading into the wooden fence in a trick no one else can mimic. Just in time and he smells Panda-chan (paste-cherries-shampoo) race pass with Heron-san (antiseptic-blue berries- brothel) he drops it shoulders shaking. "Naruto!" And Iruka who is more then he seems stands before him with hand on narrow hips, but Iruka loves him and only wants him to succeed. Iruka doesn't understand.

000

"You fail!" Smiling Naruto leaves the testing room ignoring Mizuru-sensei (madness-fear-darkness) as he lies to Iruka (hurt-want-worry) for his own tattered reasons. Sits in the swing listening, waiting for his initiation. A pair of girls speak out of turn. He turns his head and smiles at them they squeak and hurry away. Shine waves his father behind him giving a brief nod. Bowing sardonically in reply to the invitation flashing a sign that means 'prior movements/plans'. Shino nods flashing a sign that for the Aburume means 'later you'd better'. Then father and son are gone in a swirl of leaves.

000

Studying the scroll with a frown Naruto notes another good technique 'Rage of the Titians' in the notebook he brought along just for this. Hearing the clumsy tread of a subpar ninja Naruto puts away his notebook just as (salt-fat-grease…ramen) lands beside him. "Na-" Get down Iruka-sensei!" Mizuru-sensei smiles triumphantly great shuriken in hand. "Prepare to die demon-brat! Come help Iruka or are you as big a demon-lover as you appear?!" Blinking, "Demon?"

000

Running with Iruka-sensei bleeding on his back. With a barely breathing Mizuru riding on a clones back and both of them - gennin and clone wearing hitiate once again. Maybe its better this time - the hitiate isn't new; dented, scratched, and tarnishes, it tells of survival by luck and merit. Hopefully it'll change his luck, but then again here is Iruka bleeding out on his back.

000

Bandaged and bruised Iruka-sensei grins at the assembled who steal 'covert' glances at Naruto and his beat-up hitaite. Shino simply stares willing his friend to just give it up already. Naruto's hand flashes s a well-known sign, Shino flushes and sends back an elaboration of said sign. Naruto 'laughs' mouth wide and shoulders shaking. The Aburume sign from yesterday finally gets Shino to turn forward. "Team Seven: Uchiha Sasuke, Maken Sintori, and Uzumaki Naruto."

000

Crying and damning the blond brat Sintori stumps angrily away to find team six while Sakura Haruno takes her place. Sintori's father profusely thanks the Sandaime and the academy teachers before rushing away. Inwardly he prays for forgiveness having saved his own child at the likely demise of another. Smirking brightly Sakura couldn't care less that she has been teamed with the jinxed brat Uzumaki. "Oh Sasuke! I was _so_ disappointed when I found out I was on Team Six, but our true love has brought us back together!" Ignoring her Sasuke studies their teammate who lies above them back seemingly plastered to the ceiling.

With a poof two ninjas and a civilian show up. The civilian male with the pink hair immediately rushes to his surprised daughter; the ninja he came with - tall, pale, and blue-of-eye turns to the Hokage. The last ninja studies the group he's been given - the Last Uchiha, a civilian brat, and the Kyuubi-gaki. "No! I want to be a ninja! I want to be with Sasuke! And I don't care what kind of loser Naruto is! Besides, Sasuke-kun can deal with anything no matter how badly Naruto fucks up!" Blinking Kakashi amends 'civilian brat' to 'fire-breathing fan girl of Doom'. The Hokage smiles, "Ah, well then I'm sorry Bintarii but since Sasuke is the apparent glue of Team Seven I cannot fulfill your request."

Giggling at the old man's quick maneuvering Kakashi decides to get on with things. "Team Seven on the roof!" Poofing onto the roof the one-eyed jounin isn't surprised to see Naruto sitting there with an innocent look on his face. How he makes those whisker marks look innocent… "Jinx-san." And, "Inu-kun." A nod in return. With the slam of a door the Uchiha boy stalks over frowns at Naruto and seats himself. Panting slightly Sakura races up a bare minute later. "Sorry I was waiting for - "Blinking at Naruto she does a double take, frowns, and then sits abruptly.

Repressing a giggle the childish jounin plasters a look of shallow happiness on his face. "My name is Hatake Kakashi. I'm your teacher until such time as either you've transferred or someone dies." Silence, a bird cawing in the distance accompanied by the wind. "Hatake-san… I hate you." Before Sakura can attack her blond teammate the bemused jounin asks them the standard questions. "Pink-haired, fire-breathing fan girl of Doom - you first!" Blushing as her inner voice begins a violent monologue Sakura asks him to demonstrate first. Shrugging he intones his standard quip, "You know my name, I have hobbies - kind of. I like stuff, dislikes are personal, right? And dreams aren't something I tell strangers. Now go pink-haired shrew!"

Blushing brighter with rising anger the fledgling kunioichi begins, "My name is Sakura Haruno. I like * squeal*. I don't like blonds, especially stupid dead last ones. And my dreams are *squeal*." Suppressing a twitch the jounin points at Team Sevens "glue". Rolling his eyes Sasuke replies, "My name is known. My likes and dislikes are immaterial. Dreams are for the naïve though I have an ambition - to kill a certain man." A pause and then "Perhaps I will reestablish my clan." Another squeal from the fangirl of Doom. 'My life is a lie.' "Right. Finally emo-boy with the endless set of issues. Yes - the blond one."

Sticking out his tongue and wagging it Naruto only just dodges the kunai Kakashi tosses in retaliation. "Fine. Naruto Uzumaki, future murderer of Team Seven and special rank shinobi in making. I like ramen, my friends Shino and Ibiki, and pranking. I dislike fangirls especially the flat-chested pink-haired ones." A squeak courtesy of Sakura and a snort from Sasuke. "I've had what seems like a lifetime of nightmares. Hmm, maybe I just want a peaceful life? Or no more… Well that's all really."

Silence, cawing, wind in the trees… "O~kay. Team Seven you still have a test to pass. It'll be tomorrow at seven o'clock on the dot! No having breakfast, don't bring a lunch, and whatever you do - Don't show up late!" Breezing away he leaves a sign in his wake which reads, 'P.S. This test will either make you real gennin or send you back to the Academy. P.P.S. It has a 66% fail rate - Ciao!' The sounds of pissed gennin follow him as he blurs away.

000

Panting the poor man says, "You Pass."


End file.
